Automatic grave cover



S. A. WILLFAMS AUTOMATIC GRAVE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 16, 1952 gmc/,nica

JERRY 49 s. A. WELLEAMS LQTMQSME AUTOMATI C GRAVE COVER Filed June 16, 1952 2 SheeiS-Shee 2 Shel/3W. x71? Mwm 6 j Patented July 4, 1933 FFEQ.

SHEPP A. WILLIAMS, OF BRISTOL, VRGNIA AUTOMATIC GRAVE COVER Application filed June 16,

This invention relates to automatic grave covers of the type which are used during the burial ceremonies, and which are removed at the conclusion of such ceremonies, and which may be used any number of times.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatic grave cover which will lend dignity to the tinal ceremony of the deceased.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grave cover which will be automat-ically actuated during the lowering ot the casket into the grave.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic grave cover which may be partially closed after the casket has been lowered a certain distance, to permit the iinal or requiem services to be performed betore the casket is lowered to its tinal resting place.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic grave cover which may be used any number ot times and with different sized casket-s Without requiring adjust n ment of any of its parts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic grave cover which is constructed ot a minimum number ci' parts, and which may be easily attached to the standard casket lowering devices now on the market.

A still further object et the invention is to provide a grave coveringr device which is easily assembled and may be carried to and from the truck which conveys it to the graveyard, or other burial resting place in knockdown position.

Still another object ot the invention is to provide an automatic burial device which, when assembled, completely hides Jfrom view the partsy ot the' casket lowering device, and which will yQ4-ive a pleasingappearance, so that the grieved ones may see only the casket restiup,- upon what appears to be grass., strewn it necessary with flowers, or other decorations.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view ot the invention in open position;

i932. serial No. 617,502.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in closed position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view ot the device shown by Figs. 1 and 2; Figure l is a vienY partly in section, showing one ot the bearing members for the low ering device and its supporting trame member;

Figure 5 shows the connection Ot the side supporting' members of the trame; and

Figure (i shows part of the trame and supr porting` arm of the sectional supporting mem bers.

rllhe usual lowering' mechanism is provided, consist-ing' of the bearing members 1, 2, 3 and ls, the latter et' which has a handle 5 which actuates the gearing and drives the shafts 6 and 7, to which the belts 8 and 9 have been attached., which support the casket and lower it into the grave. The bearing member 4 which contains gearing that drives the shatts G and 7 through the gearing connections in the other members 1, 2 and 3, contains a. suitable ratchet mechanism so that the shafts 6 and 7 may be held from rotation at any stage during' the lowering' operation, and also in the position shown in Fig. 1, before the lowering oit the casket. The four bearingmembers are supported by a frame having; side members l0 and 11, and cross members 12 and 13. The cross members 12 and 13 cach consists ot two parts which are hinged together at 14. The side members 11 and 12 also cach consists ot two parts, and are connected together by the construction illustrated at 15 in Fig'. 5, including' pins 16 which lit in holes 17. All ot the members 10. 11` 12 and 13 are provided with levels indicated by the numeral 18,

The cross members 12 and 13 are provided at their meeting' edpges with blocks 19 which are securely fastened to the members 12 and 13 by means not shown. T he blocks have flat portions which have holes 21. The members 12 and 13 are also provided with holes 22. l have provided end pieces 23 and 24 which consist preferably ot wire trame members not shown, which have stud portions 25. The wire Jframes are covered with artilicial grass edges move vertically downward.

and they may be fastened in upright position as indicated in Fig. 2 by engaging the studs 25 in the holes 21 and 22 and held firmly in position thereby.

Connected to the rotatable shafts 6 and 7 are smaller belts 26, four of such belts 26 being usually used. The belts are connected to the shafts G and 7 so as to be wound and unwound thereon when the shafts 6 and 7 are rotated in either direction. Fastened to the other ends of the belts are hook-shape members 27. Suitably mounted on blocks 19 are pivot members 28 which pivotally support the radius arms 29. The arms 29 are held on the pivot members 28 by nuts 30 so that they may be readily removed when the grave cover is to be transported from one place to another. The arms 29 pivotally support the covers 31 which are constructed as follows: The arm 29 has an arcuate extension preferably integraltherewith,numbered 32, and which forms the extremities of the covers 31. Attached to the members 32 are longitudinal and transverse wire members 33 which form a framework on which is mounted the artificial grass 34 which covers the frame on both sides. Fastened to the interior of the covers 31 are straps 37 which have hooks 38 which cooperate with hooks 27. The covers 31 are of. such shape that their inner ends` illustrated by numeral 35, Aare closer to the point of pivotal support 28 than their other ends 36. This permits the use of any of the standard caskets now being sold and allows the covers to move from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, without said covers contacting with the casket while it is being lowered. It will be realized that during the solemn ceremonies attending burials, that mechanism such as described herein must function withouttgetting out of order, and that the entire ceremony might be marred if each of the parts did not work smoothly and with no chalice of getting out of order. The

distance from the pivot point to any portion of the cover progressively decreases when starting from the point 36 and progressing to the point 35. This will allow the casket to be lowered some distance without coming into contact with the sides of the cover. Assumingl that the side edges of the casket extend to the points 39 of the lowering belts 8 and 9, as the casket is lowered these side As the casket is lowered, also the covers are moving upwardly and the points in a vertical plane with the side edges of the casket are continuously moving further and further away until the members 36 have reached the points 40. At this point the side edges of the casket have not come into Contact with the cover, because the points farthest away from the pivotal point 28 are now directly under the side edges of the casket. Upon further rotation of the shafts 6, the edges 36 of the covers clear the side edges of the casket and upon still further rotation, assume the position indicated in Fig. 2. The casket is now entirely out of sight and flowers are strewn upon the covers 31, which give the appearance of a grass mound. The parts are retained in this position until after the mourners have left. The casket may then be lowered to its final resting place in the grave. After the edges of the Covers 32 meet, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the hooks 27 and 38 automatically disconnect themselves, allowing the casket to be further lowered without actuating the covers 31. The bearing members 1, 2, 3 and 4 are supported in suitable sockets 40 in the cross members 12 and 13. When it is desired to remove the automatic grave cover to a new location after the burial services have been completed, the members 24 are first removed as indicated in Fig. 1. The casket lowering device consisting of the bearing members 1, 2, 3 and 4, shafts 7 and 8, as well as the end shafts, are all removed from the frame 10, 11, 12 and 13. 1f the hooks 27 and 38 have not been disconnected, this is now done and the nuts 30 are removed from the pins 28. thereby allowing the removal of the covers 31. The side members 10 and 11 are now disconnected at their central portions by removal of pins 16 from the holes 17 of connections 15, and the cross members 12 and 13 may be folded by their hinged connections 14. This makes a very compact structure, especially when it is realized that the frame when set up, occupies considerable space. These disassembled parts occupy a very small space during the transportation from one burial place to another.

The covers 31 each entend for more than a Quarter of a circle. as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby providing a pleasing appearance and partially covering the shafts 6 and 7. It is also my practice to cover the shafts and the belts 8 with a covering of artificial grass which may be laid on top of the belts 8 and 9 and which may be withdrawn after the casket has been partially lowered and the cover portions have been partially closed.

During the requiem services the casket is lowered about two or three feet at which time the covers have moved substantially one half the way between their open to their closed positions, the shaft being locked by the ratchet mechanism which is customarily a part of the lowering mechanism, and is con- Y ins 24 I am able also to dispense With the curtains shown in this patent, Which have to be stuffed in between the rotating shafts and the covers as they rotate from closed to open position.

The levels 18 enable the device to be leveled up so that the casket lowering mechanism Will lower the casket in a vertical direction and also by this leveling operation, there is no tendency of the casket to come in contact with the covers 31.

I desire to comprehend all modifications of my invention which may come Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a combined lowering and covering mechanism having a plurality of bearing members with shafts rotatable in said bearing members and belts attached to said shafts, a frame adapted to receive said bearing members, a plurality of covers, pivotal mountings for said covers, said covers having a plurality of different radii from said pivotal mountings and means actuating said covers by said shafts.

2. In a combined lowering and covering mechanism having a plurality of bearing members With the shafts rotatable by said bearing members, a frame adapted to receive said bearing' members, covers, pivotal mountings for said covers, belts attached. to said shafts and to said covers, means for actuating said covers by said shafts, and means for automatically disengaging said belts from said covers after said covers have been moved by said belts to a closed position.

3. In a combined lowering and covering mechanism having a plurality of bearing members with shafts rotatably mounted on said bearing members, a frame adapted to receive said bearing members, covers, means for actuating said covers by said shafts consisting of a plurality of belts, and removable end pieces adapted to be rigidly demountably attached to said frame.

11. In a combined lowering and covering mechanism having a plurality of bearing members With shafts rotatable by said bearing` members and belts attached to said shafts, a frame adapted to receive said bearing members, covers attached to said belts, pivotal .mountings for said covers, said covers having` their side portions located at dierent distances from said pivotal mountings and end `pieces removably attached to said frame adjacent said pivotal mountings.

5. In a combined lowering and covering mechanism having a plurality of bearing members with shafts rotatable by said bearing members, a frame adapted to receive said bearing' members, blocks attached to said frame, a plurality of covers, and means pivotally mounting said covers to said blocks.

6. In a combined lowering and covering,l mechanism having' a plurality of bearing members with shafts rotatable by said bear-- ing members and belts attached to said shafts, a frame adapted to receive said bearing members, said frame having` side members and end members forming parts of said frame, each of said end members comprisingl tvvo parts pivotally connecting together, bloels mounted on each of said end members, pivots in said blocks, arms pivotally mounted on said pivots and a plurality of cover members attached to said arms.

7, In a combined lowering and covering mechanism havinga plurality of bearing members with shafts rotatable by said bearing members and belts attached to said shafts, al frame adapted to receive said bearing members, said frame consisting of side members and end meniibers, each of said end members consisting` of a plurality of parts pivotally connected to each other, blocks mounted upon said pivotally connected parts adja cent their meeting edges, a plurality of covers, means for pivotally mounting said covers on said blocks, said covers having,` a plurality of different radii from said pivotal mountings. 1 i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this l7th day of July A. D. 1931.

SHEPI) A. WILLIAMS.

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